Press release
Ballerup, Denmark, September 28, 2010
Columbus IT wins another strategically important order
Columbus IT has secured a major new win with the leading Agri-Nutrition
provider, Origin Enterprises plc. Origin has chosen to invest in Columbus IT's
industry solution based on a Microsoft Dynamics AX business platform that offers
competitive advantages in a changing economy and rapidly growing market.
In the coming months Columbus IT will supply and implement a comprehensive ERP
solution to Origin, one of the leading suppliers of integrated agronomy
services, crop nutrition and feed ingredients, to the UK, Polish and Irish
agricultural sectors.
“Origin's new solution is an important step towards
achieving our goal of becoming the preferred IT supplier in this sector. The
solution will be supplied and implemented by Columbus IT's UK & Ireland
division, which was named the best performing AX partner and Columbus country by
Microsoft in 2009. The agreement with Origin cements the UK's position as top
performer in the group,” says group managing director Claus E. Hansen, Columbus
IT.
Based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, the IT solution includes project
management, consultancy and software licences. The agreement, which provides
Origin with a total IT solution adapted to the agronomy, fertiliser and feed
ingredient industries, incorporates significant advantages that will help Origin
achieve its strategic objectives over the coming years.
Customers want to be
challenged
The new IT solution helps to ensure Origin's ambitious growth
strategy. Experience, credibility and process understanding were crucial when
Origin's management were faced with the task of selecting a new IT supplier.
“It was the quality of the IT systems coupled with Columbus IT's in-depth
expertise in process oriented manufacturing that tipped the scales in their
favour. The match between Origin's growth ambitions and Columbus IT's working
methods differentiates the group from other suppliers in the Dynamics market.
Columbus IT helps us to migrate several different systems into one
Microsoft-based platform where all the elements are in tune,” says CIO Derek
Wilson, Origin, who adds:
“We were looking for a simple platform that delivers real benefits and enables
us to grow. We chose Columbus IT because we knew they could deliver a solution
tailored to our business model and one which would enable us to continue to
develop the quality and breadth of our services to our customers.”
For Columbus, the significant demand for vertical solutions together with
several strategically important recent wins across the globe is a cause for
optimism, which is why the company is now intensifying its collaboration with
Microsoft.
“Our collaboration with Microsoft is crucial to our global business strategy and
we are therefore targeting our efforts to improve the partnership. With the
support of Microsoft and our ongoing development of sector-specific solutions we
are able to drive sales and move towards achieving our established goal of
dominating our key focus industries, namely retail and project- and
process-oriented manufacturing companies in the agri/food sector,” says
Corporate SVP Sales Henrik P. Salicath, Columbus IT.
Origin's new solution is based on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 and includes
process optimisation of production and distribution. The system will be
implemented in the course of 2010 and will be deployed to all businesses by
2012.
“We are confident that Columbus working alongside our own staff will ensure the
implementation of a critical business application The new solution enables us to
improve what we do and how we do it thus generating value for all our
stakeholders, including our people, our customers and our partners,” says CIO
Derek Wilson, Origin.
For further information, please contact:
Corporate SVP Sales Henrik P. Salicath, Columbus IT A/S
E-mail: hps@dk.columbusit.com
Mobile: +45 29 69 06 67
CIO Derek Wilson, Origin
E-mail: wilsond@originenterprises.ie
Mobile: +353 868 167 024
About Columbus IT
Columbus IT operates as a software and service company in the market for
integrated business solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics, mainly supplying
solutions to small, medium-sized and international businesses. Columbus IT is
one of the leading Microsoft Dynamics software companies, employing more than
1,000 staff operating in 27 countries and with a total customer base of more
than 5,000 small and medium-sized companies, as well as units in large
companies. Read more at www.columbusit.com.
About Origin
Origin Enterprises plc is a leading agri-nutrition company and is
listed on the ESM and AIM markets of the Irish and London stock exchanges.
Through its manufacturing and distribution operations in Ireland, the UK, Poland
and Norway, the Agri-Nutrition division is a market leader in the supply of
integrated agronomy services, crop nutrition, feed ingredients and marine
proteins. The company employs 1,500 staff spread across three main locations and
has an annual turnover in the region of EUR 1.5bn.
